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CD4(+) regulatory T (T(reg)) cells have been involved in impaired immunity and persistence of viral infections. Herein, we report the level, phenotype and activation status of T(reg) cells in patients chronically infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and/or hepatitis C virus (HCV). Expression of CD25, CD45RA, CD27, CD127 and CD38 was assessed on these cells using polychromatic flow cytometry in 20 healthy controls, 20 HIV-monoinfected, 20 HCV-monoinfected and 31 HIV/HCV-co-infected patients. T(reg) cells were defined as CD4(+)forkhead box P3 (FoxP3)(+). The percentage of T(reg) cells was increased significantly in HIV patients compared with controls. Moreover, there was a significant inverse correlation between CD4 counts and T(reg) cell levels. Fewer than 50% of T(reg) cells expressed CD25, with differences in terms of CD127 expression between CD25(+) and CD25((-)) T(reg) cells. CD4(+)Foxp3(+) T(reg) cells displayed predominantly a central memory phenotype (CD45RA(-)CD27(+)), without differences between patients and healthy controls. Activated T(reg) cells were increased in HIV patients, particularly considering the central memory subset. In summary, HIV infection, but not HCV, induces an up-regulation of highly activated T(reg) cells, which increases in parallel with CD4 depletion. Hypothetically, this might contribute to the accelerated course of HCV-related liver disease in HIV-immunosuppressed patients.

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OBJECTIVE: Multiple factors may lead to hepatic steatosis (HS) in HIV-positive patients. HS may result in severe liver damage on its own and/or by accelerating the progression of chronic viral hepatitis B or C. METHODS: The sensitivity/specificity of liver ultrasound (US) to recognize severe HS is above 85%. A cross-sectional case-control study of all HIV out-patients who underwent liver US since 2004 was conducted at our institution. RESULTS: Eight hundred and thirty (36.1%) out of 2300 HIV-positive patients on regular follow-up underwent liver US during the study period. Severe HS was diagnosed in 108 (13%) patients. A total of 117 matched HIV controls lacking HS were selected randomly. In patients with severe HS, we found significantly higher values of body mass index (BMI), plasma viral load, serum glucose, alkaline phosphatase, triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, as well as significantly higher prevalence of diabetes, elevated alcohol consumption, lipohypertrophy and advanced liver fibrosis. Furthermore, a trend towards longer exposure to nucleoside analogues was noticed. In the multivariate analysis, only elevated alcohol consumption [odds ratio (OR) 7, P=0.013], lipohypertrophy (OR 5.3, P=0.008), plasma viral load (OR 2.1, P=0.02), BMI (OR 1.2, P=0.013) and serum glucose (OR 1.03, P=0.027) were significantly associated with severe HS. CONCLUSIONS: Severe HS in HIV-positive patients is associated with predisposing factors that are similar to those of HIV-negative individuals. However, its characteristic association with elevated plasma viral load might suggest a direct involvement of HIV in liver fat deposition. Therefore, the benefit of controlling HIV replication with antiretroviral therapy should be balanced against its effect of occasionally inducing metabolic abnormalities and lipodystrophy.

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Liver disease is frequently seen in HIV+ patients as a result of coinfection with hepatitis B (HBV) or C (HCV) viruses, alcohol abuse and/or exposure to hepatotoxic drugs. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of liver cirrhosis, its main causes and clinical presentation in HIV+ patients. Observational, cross-sectional, retrospective study of all HIV+ individuals followed at one reference HIV outpatient clinic in Madrid. Liver fibrosis was measured in all cases using transient elastometry (FibroScan). All 2168 HIV+ patients on regular follow-up (76% males, 46% injecting drug users) were successfully examined by FibroScan) between October 2004 and August 2006. Liver cirrhosis was recognized in 181 (overall prevalence, 8.3%), and the main aetiologies were HCV, 82.3%; HBV, 1.6%; dual HBV/HCV, 2.8%; and triple HBV/HCV/ hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection, 6.6%. The prevalence of cirrhosis differed among patients with distinct chronic viral hepatitis: HCV, 19.2%; HBV, 6.1%; HBV/HCV, 41.7%; and HBV/HCV/HDV, 66.7%. In 12 patients with cirrhosis (6.7%), no definite aetiology was recognized. Overall, cirrhotics had lower mean CD4 counts than noncirrhotics (408 vs 528 cells/microL respectively; P = 0.02), despite similar proportion of subjects with undetectable viraemia on highly active antiretroviral therapy. Clinical manifestations of liver cirrhosis were: splenomegaly, 61.5%; oesophageal varices, 59.8%; ascites, 22.6%; encephalopathy, 12.1%; and variceal bleeding, 6.1%. Liver cirrhosis and hepatic decompensation events are relatively frequent in HIV+ individuals. Chronic HCV and alcohol abuse, but not chronic HBV, play a major role. Transient elastometry may allow the identification of a significant number of HIV+ individuals with asymptomatic liver cirrhosis.

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The recent availability of non-invasive tools to measure liver fibrosis has allowed examination of its extent and determination of predictors in all patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. On the other hand, most information on hepatic fibrosis in HCV/human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-coinfected patients has been derived from liver biopsies taken before highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) was widely available. All consecutive HCV patients with elevated aminotransferases seen during the last 3 years were evaluated and liver fibrosis measured using transient elastography (FibroScan) and biochemical indexes. Patients were split according to their HIV serostatus. A total of 656 (69.6%) HCV-monoinfected and 287 (30.4%) HIV/HCV-coinfected patients were assessed. Mean CD4 count of coinfected patients was 493 cells/muL and 88% were under HAART (mean time, 4.2 +/- 2.4 years). Advanced liver fibrosis or cirrhosis was recognized in 39% of the coinfected and 18% of the monoinfected patients (P < 0.005). A good correlation was found between FibroScan) and biochemical indexes [AST to platelet ratio index (r = 0.405, P < 0.0001), FIB-4 (r = 0.393, P < 0.0001) and Forns (r = 0.407, P < 0.0001)], regardless of the HIV status. In the multivariate analysis, age >45 years, body mass index (BMI) >25 kg/m(2), and HIV infection were independently associated with advanced liver fibrosis or cirrhosis. HIV/HCV-coinfected patients have more advanced liver fibrosis than HCV-monoinfected patients despite the immunologic benefit of HAART.

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We present the case of a 33 year old man who consulted because a lumbago; a bone lesion was detected on a lumbosacral radiography, and finally was diagnosed of Multiple Myeloma. The illness, diagnosis and epidemiology are briefly analyzed, rebounding the rarity of its presentation in a young man.

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Se presenta el caso de un varón de 33 años que consulta por lumbalgia y a quien se detecta una lesión ósea en la radiografía lumbosacra, siendo finalmente diagnosticado de Mieloma Múltiple. Se comenta brevemente la enfermedad, su diagnóstico y su epidemiología, subrayando la rareza de su presentación en un joven (AU)

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